Attention Paid to Even Minor Symptoms. Even slight imbalances in the body can set the stage for more serious diseases
down the road. This often happens by virtue of a "ripple effect", whereby a
"minor" imbalance sets into motion a cascade of biological triggers that
eventually leads to sub-optimal health, chronic illness, and degenerative disease.
Do our body balance home tests

For this reason, a "let's-wait-and-see-if-this-develops-into-anything-serious" attitude is not an
acceptable approach in functional medicine. By implementing the most advanced
and sensitive technology available, diagnostic laboratory tests can reveal the most subtle imbalances within the
body, allowing for timely intervention to prevent more profound health problems
in the future.

Using a Holistic Approach. The body is best examined and treated as an integrated whole, not simply an isolated set of
parts.

Holistic medicine looks at
effects created on each part of your body and how they interact.
For example, if your holistic practitioner
treats a liver problem by helping you to detox, he will recommend the best way
to detox without the toxins affecting the rest of your body adversely.
It's not enough just to get the toxins out of
your liver; they must be safely removed so as to not affect the rest of your
body.

Nervous System
Endocrine System

Immune System

Adrenal Glands

Tests

Ovaries

Diagnostic laboratory tests
can evaluate every major
system in the body and guide a person to effectively restore inner balance and
establish optimal health. This powerful strategy offers a much more effective
way of achieving long-range results than that afforded by temporary damage
control - the treatment of symptoms.

Getting a Functional Assessment

Evaluating organ "function" versus "pathology" (or
addressing disease only) is one of the principles of functional medicine, and a
number of assessment tools are available to determine a person's functional
status. The tests are non or only minimally invasive, using samples of stool,
urine, saliva, blood and hair. The results focus on how well the body is doing
in these important areas:

Functional Medicine vs. Pathological Medicine

Sometimes a person will accept treatment for a health
problem they are experiencing without evaluating whether or not the treatment
is a quick fix addressing only one symptom or a permanent solution that
addresses the cause of the problem and bases the treatment on his or her individual body, taking into account
all of its nuances.

The Pathological Model

The primary goal of Pathological Medicine is to fit the
series of symptoms and signs of illness a person is experiencing into a
category that has already been established. The treatment is then administered
and managed according to the diagnosis -
not
the patient. In fact, the treatment is nearly identical for all patients.

In this model, dietary and lifestyle management are rarely
emphasized. Competency in this model is based on the standard of care specified
by a series of rules followed - not by individual
patient results.

For example, the Pathological Medical Model may treat a
patient for trouble with breathing by diagnosing "asthma" as the condition and
prescribing a Singulair inhaler. The individual's physical activity or lack
thereof, and the amount of fat the person ingests on a daily basis would not be
taken into account.

The Functional Model

Functional Medicine is a science-based healthcare approach
that assesses and treats the underlying causes
of a person's illness through individually tailored therapies designed to
restore health and improve function.

With laboratory assessment and early intervention, this
approach focuses attention on biochemical individuality, metabolic balance,
ecological context and unique personal experience in the dynamics of health.

In this model, nutritional support is specific to the
patient and not the diagnosis, and diet and lifestyle management are strongly emphasized.
The management of the treatment is virtually different for individuals with the same exact diagnosis.

Competency in this model is based on reviewing and
managing altered physiology versus diagnosis.

Here is an example which illustrates the difference
between the Pathological Model and the Functional Model:

If your refrigerator suddenly started being too warm, so
you could not keep your food fresh, it is likely that you would want to know
why, so you could remedy the situation.

Imagine your repairman diagnosing "a leak in the freezer"
and then selling you numerous cans of "gook" to pour in freezer unit every
morning so that you could keep your food fresh. While the gook may be a
temporary solution, it would not address the actual leak - it would address the
symptom of that leak (the food getting spoiled). Repairing the freezer would be
the permanent solution. Moreover, you would want to make sure the repairman you
hired was knowledgeable in your type of fridge, since manufacturers differ in
how they build their fridges.

Just like there are different models of home appliances, there is not a "one size
fits all" approach to the human body.
For example, up to 40% of people in the US cannot convert Folic Acid
(vitamin B9) into the active form and need the enzyme form!
If you went with the "quick fix" pathological
model, the doctor might not know to check if you are the kind of person who can
properly convert B9, or if you need to take it in the enzyme form.
He might give you a generic multi-vitamin
without looking at your individual needs.

Your doctor would be wise to be familiar with your personal needs, just like you
would not expect a repairman to fix your icemaker when your fridge doesn't have
one in the first place. Familiarity is one key to improvement!

Testing and treating your individual makeup is a sure-fire way to receive personalized
care and skip missing critical steps: Doctors who practice Functional Medicine will
often use many of the specific brands and vitamins offered here at Myvits.com -
like B-Complex #12 The Active Forms of the Vitamins, the ones
which need to be converted, are often included in the vitamins we offer and
this will ensure your body can use the vitamins you take.

Welcome to Body Balance

Home Diagnostic Tests

No more guessing. Find out exactly which vitamins your body needs!

Just because everyone seems to be downing a certain trendy vitamin doesn't
mean you should. You may not need it. It might even be harmful to your health.
Instead, know for certain which vitamins your body needs through at-home
diagnostic tests.

At MyVits.com, you can submit tests online that were previously only offered in
doctors offices and receive the scientific results by email. Easy to read and
understand, your test results reveal the vitamins and nutrients needed by your
body to support your health.

Start with Dr. Springer's
Metabolic Assessment or Neurotransmitter Assessment, a detailed questionnaires you can
complete online for free. It takes 10-20 minutes to fill out your
confidential answers to questions about various symptoms, complaints and health
tendencies. You'll receive back a list of specific product recommendations
tailored for your unique health situation. Do Dr. Springer's Health
Assessments here:

Use the Body Balance clinical analysis tests below before you embark on a new
regimen of vitamins or supplements to learn what your body needs. Then repeat
the tests every few months to monitor how well your body is responding and
improving. Each home test, from industry leader Great Smokies Diagnostic
Laboratories, Inc., costs just $85.